MaRs BaRs

We woke up early in the morning and headed to the Portland airport to pick up our rental car to head to Bangor. After a stopover at Dunkin Donuts (Drea’s favourite!), we made it to Bangor just before 9:00 am for our Stephen King tour of Derry, Maine (aka. Bangor). Some of the interesting things we learned on the tour included 1. The philanthropic impact the Kings had on Bangor such as setting up scholarship funds, building baseball fields, community pools and playgrounds, and improving the hospital and library infrastructure without putting his name on any of it except of course his local rock’n roll radio station, WKIT 2. Ensuring that a Ronald McDonald House was established in Bangor 3. Learning about Carrie and seeing the house used as inspiration. “Carrie,” was one of Stephen King’s ... read more

On our first day in Portland, we headed straight for seafood for dinner. When in Portland, why not? After settling into our hotel, the Aloft we made our way to “Scales” a restaurant along the Pier. Some of the delicious food we had included oysters, seared scallops, and Indian Pudding. After being stuffed from having an amazing meal we explored some of the shops including “Sea Bags” (bags made from the sails of ships). We went to this store various times during our stay in Portland, Maine. Tomorrow, we head out to the Portland Headlight for sunrise. Until then!... read more

Today our cruise ship stopped at South Queensferry in Edinburgh. After getting off the ship we had to take a shuttle into Edinburgh. I booked tickets in advance to see Edinburgh Castle but somehow could not find the tickets online. So instead, Renata and I decided to walk the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile The Royal Mile is a street that runs between two significant locations (Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse). Along the Royal Mile, we 1. Took some pictures with Owls 2. Stopped by the Writers Museum, 3. Entered St. Giles Cathedral 4. Passed Tolbooth Tavern (Now a Scottish Pub. The building used to be a toll collection station, a Council Chamber, a Police Court and a Prison.) 5. Visited Bakehouse Close (the site of Alexander Malcom’s print shop and where Jamie and ... read more

Today, Renata and I got to explore the Scottish Highlands with Princess Cruises “Best of the Scottish Highlands” tour. Luss Our first stop was Luss, a picturesque village on the western shore of Loch Lomond. Luss was filled with cute cottages, gardens, and shops and had an incredible view of Loch Lomond from the pier. After our stroll in Luss, we headed to Inverary stopping to get pictures of the incredible Scottish Highlands on the way. Inveraray In Inveraray, we explored the town, bought some Scottish wool souvenirs and had a tour of Inverary Castle. The Neo-Gothic Inveraray Castle is the family home of the Duke of Argyll. It was also a filming location of the 2012 Christmas episode of Downton Abbey portraying the fictional Duneagle Castle. The Castle was an interesting place to see especially ... read more

Dublin Tour The next stop on our British Isles cruise was Dun Laoghaire the gateway to Dublin. After taking the train from Dun Laoghaire to Pearse Station, Renata, Mom and I headed over to Trinity College. Trinity College We previously booked a tour of Trinity College and the Book of Kells before departing on the cruise. When we arrived at Trinity College, we were greeted by a student representative of the college, Ethan who specializes in Theoretical Physics and took us on a tour of the campus. Some of the interesting facts about Trinity College include: 1. Famous People: It produced some of the world’s finest most original minds including the writers Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Bram Stroker. 2. The Campanile: The bell tower in the heart of Trinity’s Front Square. The superstition goes, that ... read more